The Cuban tourist sector, which has become a driving force in the domestic economy, bets on expanding its infrastructure in face of predictions considering a steady increase in the number of vacationers.

The industry expects to reach three million foreign visitors in the near future, thus new facilities are being prepared in the country’s main tourist destinations.

In addition, the existing facilities are being modernized while others, with a solid presence in the market, have been enlarged.

Many important tourist-related facilities are distributed across the country, taking advantage of the island’s natural treasures, as well as the historical and cultural values it offers.

As complement, there is a large network of small lodging facilities, many of them located in Havana’s historic heart.

Los Frailes Inn, located in a mansion dating back to the 18th century, which was owned by the marquis Pedro Claudio Duquesne, 4th holder of this title and captain of the French Navy, stands out among these options.

Designed as a medieval monastery, Los Frailes offers the suggestive attraction of 22 air-conditioned rooms (four of them with mini-suite category), and a small coffee bar which resembles a medieval tavern.

Havana’s historic heart comprises more than 30,000 buildings, of the most diverse architectural styles, which are located in an area of 240 hectares, including fortresses from colonial time, churches, museums, service facilities, schools and health institutions.

The Inglaterra Hotel, which was opened on December 23, 1875 and named after England, the main world power at the time, stands out as one of the best hotels in the world after being reconstructed in 1886.

The building, declared as National Monument and located in an important area of the so-called Old Havana, has a neoclassic style with elements that provide a touch of singularity like the tiles from Alicante and the iron-wrought railings specially brought from Seville, Spain.

Likewise, the National Hotel, with seven decades of history in the tourist business, is considered a classic institution in Cuba, supported by a privileged location from where the Havana’s Melecón (seafront) can be enjoyed.

Several distinctive architectural pieces in the city are well preserved like the famous Prado promenade and the well-known Alameda de Paula, the latter built in the second half of the 18th century; both places were of inevitable transit for those who lived in the city during colonial time.

The city’s fortress system, led by the emblematic Castillo de Los Tres Reyes del Morro (Morro castle), comprised nine huge constructions that make up the most remarkable defense system in Spanish America.